St Ives

Optician shines in after hours marathon

A St Ives optician has swapped his bed for his walking shoes as he took to the roads of London to complete a night time marathon in aid of Cancer Reseach UK.

Shine night walk

Sandip Patel, who is a store director and optometrist at Specsavers in St Ives, has taken part in the Shine Night Walk alongside thousands of other supporters to get behind Cancer Research UK and raise money in the fight against the killer disease.

After dark challenge

Sandip took on the after dark challenge to walk 13.1 miles from Southwark Park to the iconic Old Billingsgate in the heart of London. Participants are encouraged to light up London by wearing bright colours while carrying glow sticks and lights to raise awareness of the disease and highlight the vital work carried out by Cancer Research UK.

Proud

Sandip says: ‘I feel very proud to have been part of such a powerful movement. Cancer is something that can affect us all in different ways and I am determined to do what I can to help Cancer Reseach UK in their mission to make cancer something of the past.

Overwhelming

‘The support from spectators and participants alike was overwhelming and it really spurred me on to finish the walk. Customers and staff from the store have been great in preparing me for the challenge and have helped me raise a lot of money. I would gladly give up a night of sleep to do my part for such an important cause.’

Cancer research UK

Cancer research UK is committed to fighting 200 different types of cancers and providing funding for research into new treatments and equipment to help the sufferers of the disease.